THE South Korean football association said yesterday that it has requested that North Korea be punished for blocking rival fans and media from attending a World Cup qualifier between the countries at an empty stadium in Pyongyang.

The Seoul-based KFA’s letter to the Asian Football Confederation argues that the North failed to uphold rules requiring host nations to grant visas and entries for travelling supporters and media without discrimination, KFA official Shin Jung Hoon said.

The KFA did not share the actual letter with journalists.